France to shut embassy in Yemen over security fears

A Yemeni security officer stands guard outside the French embassy in Sanaa, on April 24, 2013. French President Francois Hollande has said France will close its embassy in Yemen over security fears for "several days", after Germany and Britain took the same precaution.
(AFP/File)

PARIS (AFP) – French President Francois Hollande said Saturday that France would close its embassy in Yemen over security fears for "several days", after Germany and Britain took the same precaution.

"I have already decided to close the French embassy in Yemen because there we have elements suggesting extremely serious threats. ... So this embassy will be closed for several days," Hollande said in a statement.

A foreign ministry spokesman had earlier told AFP the embassy would be shut only on Sunday and Monday.

The United States had issued a worldwide alert on Friday warning of plans by Al-Qaeda to launch an attack in the Middle East or North Africa in August.